FWSAR (CC130H, Buffalo, C27J, V22): Status & Possibilities

[geo]

Stuart McCarthy,
Bluesky Strategy Group,
(for Research Canada)
613-2XX-3512 x 229 or
613-7XX-4321 (cell),
stuart@blueskystrategygroup.com

 

[Bomber]

Bio for Lisa Crawford
http://blueskystrategygroup.com/team_lisa.html

"She has used her expertise to the benefit of clients as diverse as defence firm Alenia North America"

Does Stuart McCarthy work for them also, and post under the title "justthefacts"

 

[MarkOttawa]

A post at The Torch:

Fixed-wing search and rescue, and Greg Weston of the Sun papers
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blogspot.com/2009/02/fixed-wing-sar-and-greg-weston-of-sun.html

Mark
Ottawa

 

[MarkOttawa]

A letter in the Ottawa Sun, Feb. 7:
http://www.ottawasun.com/Comment/2009/02/07/8299201-sun.html

Re: "Plane and simple" (Feb. 5).
http://www.torontosun.com/comment/2009/02/05/8269471-sun.html
In his trashing of the federal government's anticipated procurement process for the Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue (SAR) aircraft, Greg Weston missed several key elements.

For operational and cost effectiveness, Canada needs to purchase a single airframe to replace the two now providing domestic SAR services. As a basic premise, the service provided to Canadians must be at least as good as that which is currently available.

In accordance with current Canadian procurement practice, the government will release internationally the requirements matrix with the invitation for any aircraft manufacturer meeting these requirements to respond. As part of the eligibility process, each potential applicant will be required to demonstrate its capabilities in a real-time flight test. All respondents demonstrating the capability to meet these requirements will be eligible to bid on the program.

This process is open and transparent. No matter who wins, Canadian industry will benefit enormously through the implementation of industrial and regional benefit obligations, which require a minimum of 100% of the contract value to be placed in industrial offsets in Canada.

The capability of the current fixed-wing SAR fleet continues to deteriorate at an alarming pace. The real issue with this program, therefore, is to get it started. Canadian lives are at stake.

Alain Pellerin, Colonel (Retired)

Executive director, Conference of Defence Associations

Mark
Ottawa

 

[geo]

... good letter Col Pellerin - can't argue with that... (though I know many who will)

 

[MarkOttawa]

Torch post:

Defence procurement scandal!!!
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blogspot.com/2009/02/defence-procurement-scandal.html

Mark
Ottawa

 

[MarkOttawa]

MCG: A Torch post:

Fixed-wing SAR aircraft: Not much of a story
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blogspot.com/2009/03/fixed-wing-sar-aircraft-not-much-of_26.html

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Babbling Brooks]

I don’t think we should be sacrificing Canadian lives to create Canadian jobs.  The lives are so much more valuable.

MCG, that's freakin' BRILLIANT.  I'm stealing the line and using it on whomever will listen...

 

[tango22a]

Maybe someone hhhhhigherrrr up the ladder should tell the Industry Canada Minister to "pound salt" .
It's  bureaucrats like this and PWSGC that ENSURE it takes literally Years to get needed purchases through the bidding process.

tango22a

 

[Haletown]

This is why so many Canadians despise the civil service.

Get the guilty into one room and tell them to get a decision made in four weeks and put the military and the mission as top priority.  Tell them "If you can't do it in the four weeks, you are all fired, on the spot, and you will be escorted out the door, never to come back."

 

[aesop081]

Get the guilty into one room and tell them to get a decision made in four weeks

It's no so much that the decision makers cant......well.....make a decision. Its the inevitable flood of lawsuits ( feature of almost all major North American defence procurment projects) that derail and drag out the process. The fact that the oposition and Viking are playing politics with the lives of Canadians is just a drop in the bucket.

 

[Cdn Blackshirt]

Just so I'm clear - Has Alenia agreed to the 100% industrial offset?


Matthew. 

 

[TimBit]

This is why so many Canadians despise the civil service.

Get the guilty into one room and tell them to get a decision made in four weeks and put the military and the mission as top priority.  Tell them "If you can't do it in the four weeks, you are all fired, on the spot, and you will be escorted out the door, never to come back."

Clearly, Haletown, you've never worked for the PS nor any complex GoC programs... I have. There are TONS of LAWS to observe... you know, the law? Billiions are in play. Politicians pulling on one side, media calling in, citizens whining about the PS (that includes you, apparently). It is not easy. You think we in the military feel the heat from politics? Nope...we don't. Try working in a Minister's office, rewriting papers 20 times between 18:00 and 22:00 because he is afraid to lose his constituent's support.

Most Canadians would probably, in fact, agree that the contract should be an open competition with money coming back to the community. Want to bet? I say, yes do have an open bid, it's the law, there is no urgent operational requirement, not anything like the Chinook or M777. And often, we should not forget either that companies fail to bid because the requirements, which are set by staff officers, cannot be met within the allotted amounts. So maybe everyone should shoulder the blame a bit, rather than just bashing the PS without knowledge of how it works.

Yes there are lazy people in the PS, who can't make up their mind. But what about that crusty old Sgt Bloggins at the QM who never has anything for you and insists on closing at 11:00 on Fridays? Surely you've met one of these?

Sorry for the rant, I just was expecting a bit more support considering we all serve the same department and its minister, some as soldiers, some as civvies, some as both.

 

[aesop081]

there is no urgent operational requirement,

You havent seen the CC-115 and CC-130E serviceability rates lately have you

 

[TimBit]

You havent seen the CC-115 and CC-130E serviceability rates lately have you

Ok granted, maybe there is. But what I meant is, people are not dying now because of it, which is what prompted the Chinooks to be bought.

Are the rates worse than the Sea Kings'?

 

[McG]

Just so I'm clear - Has Alenia agreed to the 100% industrial offset?

IRBs can either be direct or indirect, but they must be accepted.  Under Canadian rules, if they do not accept the 100% IRBs, then the bid is non-compliant and they do not get the contract. 

Government demanding 100% direct IRBs is stupid because it can cause delays (as it has done in stalling the Leopard), force the selection of inadaquate equipment (as it may do with FWSAR), increase costs, and/or lead to the creating of buisnesses which are not independaly viable at the end of the government contract (and so the buisness closes or downsizes leaving many unemployed).

.... people are not dying now because of it ....

We should not need to wait for someone to die when the writting is on the wall:  It is inevitable if we don't do something timely. 

 

[TimBit]

We should not need to wait for someone to die when the writting is on the wall:  It is inevitable if we don't do something timely.

Absolutely true. I still remember the Labrador crash in the 90's. In fact I thought about qualifying my comment earlier, but I guess what is posted is posted...

 

[aesop081]

But what I meant is, people are not dying now because of it,

What do you think the pressure on those people in the minister's office will be when a Canadian citizen dies because SAR assets were on the ramp broken and unavailable ? Look at the critisism that errupted recently in NL just because SAR assets were away on an exercise.

Are the rates worse than the Sea Kings'?

Probably in the same league.

 

[dapaterson]

However, Industry can look to DND and say "You've known about these problems for years and done nothing to replace the aircraft.  Why are your delays now reasons for you to circumvent the system you know so well?"

It may not look like it from the Rideau centre, by 101 Col By Drive is a pretty big glass house...

 

[Haletown]

Clearly, Haletown, you've never worked for the PS nor any complex GoC programs... I have. There are TONS of LAWS to observe... you know, the law? Billiions are in play. Politicians pulling on one side, media calling in, citizens whining about the PS (that includes you, apparently). It is not easy. You think we in the military feel the heat from politics? Nope...we don't. Try working in a Minister's office, rewriting papers 20 times between 18:00 and 22:00 because he is afraid to lose his constituent's support.

Actually, I have worked on quite a few large Government programs, in Canada and Internationally, including $billion dollar programs and programs for DND.  I'd bet I have forgotten more about DIDs & CDRLs & Contract Regulations than 99% of service members - the Beer Therapy helped a lot and I am almost at a fully recovered level  ;D

Yes there are many laws and they must be observed, but this delay isn't about laws, it is about civil service infighting, turf protection and placing departmental loyalties above the needs of soldiers.  The soldier comes first.


And I do very much understand what it is like to be at the service of a Minister. I have been working the better part of the last 24 hrs so a Minister can get a press Release out the door - I wasn't really happy about it at 4:00am today as I crunched numbers into a model to create a favorable spin, but I do understand how the system works.